


Just For Fun

by Cahaya (Tarlaith)



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bathing, Blow Jobs, Discussion of Homophobia, Exasperated Goody, Faraday just wants some fun, M/M, Nicknames, Period-Typical Homophobia, Sneaky Billy, Some Booze, Teddy is a lightweight, general silliness, non-graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-25 01:00:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10753434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlaith/pseuds/Cahaya
Summary: Billy and Faraday do some man-bonding by the creek. Teddy gets an eyeful and has conflicting feelings.





	Just For Fun

Teddy Q hated leaving the cool shade of his workshop in the early afternoon, because the sun burned like a canon geared up for war. Unfortunately there were plenty of reasons to: helping out Mrs. Emma now that her husband was gone, running errands for the other widows, or searching for Mr. Faraday, who tended to run off unsupervised despite his injured leg. Most days he didn't get much farther than the whorehouse, drinking his pain away with perfumed, smoky air and bad rotgut.

The doctor they had brought over from two towns west wasn't amused. Neither was Teddy, but after watching Faraday blow himself up to take out the Gatling gun, he was willing to cut him some slack. He was waiting for a chance at another gun lesson – as soon as Faraday was sober enough to stand upright and stay that way. Today, he seemed to have disappeared towards the creek, so Teddy grabbed a bottle of whiskey and his Peacemaker and fought his way through the hip-high grass.

He knew he'd never be as brave as Faraday. But he wanted to try to be a little bit braver – for Emma. For _Matt_.

He reached the trees that lined the creek and sighed as he slipped into the shade. The grass gave way to thick bushes here and he couldn't actually see the creek, but he heard its playful gurgling where it swirled around the rocks in its bed.

Teddy was just about to call out for Faraday when someone beat him to the punch.

“You fucking idiot!”

Tensing, Teddy slunk into the scrub. He knew that voice and he didn't want to meet the person it belonged to. What was _he_ doing out of bed, anyway?

“Well, if that isn't the stalwart Mister _Stones_. How're the ribs?”

“You should be resting.”

“I am.”

“In a bed. With... clothes on.”

Face heating, Teddy peeked through the leaves. Faraday was resting on a big, flat rock, half of his body submerged in the water, which did nothing hide the fact that he was completely naked. He was smirking saucily at Rocks.

“I thought _you_ 'd appreciate the sight. C'mon, join me. I promise I won't tell your sweetheart...”

Catching on far quicker than he wanted to, Teddy hastily searched for something else to look at. Was it just him, or had the clover patches around him always been this green and... green?

“Hey, what're looking at me like that for? Everyone knows he's sweet on you. _Oh Billy, your charm and your enormous, uh,_ talent _have captured me from the first moment on._ ”

And the air, so dry it burned the lungs! Or maybe that was just the dust.

Billy snorted. “Goody doesn't sound like that.”

“He so does. But you're just as bad. _Yes, Goody! Give it to me until I can't walk straight, you raunchy Cajun stud!_ ”

Teddy nearly choked on his own tongue.

But Billy just burst out laughing, the sound mingled with the rustling of clothes and followed by water splashing. Now Teddy _had to_ look – and immediately regretted it. Faraday was still leaning on the stone, with Billy in front of him, and they were– he was–

 

-

 

“If the saloon girls ever saw you like this, you'd have to fight them off with a stick.”

“Girls...”

“They won't care whether you like them or not, Rocks. … uh, forward, aren't we?”

“Just _appreciating the sight_.”

“That's a bit more than a-appreciating.”

“You're not complaining.”

“Not sayin' I was.... ooh, yesss, _there_ , do that again.”

“This? Or is there _something else_ you want?”

“Mister Rocks, that is scand- and and... _holy shit_.”

“... you were saying?”

“ _Ohh_. Fuck, I know why Goody keeps you around.”

 

-

 

Teddy closed his eyes and backed away through the scrub, fighting hard to keep his lunch down. His stomach felt like when dancing a very complicated Reel with a pretty girl. At the same time, he couldn't quite believe it, even though he'd seen it with his own eyes. _Faraday_ , of all people! From the Asian he would have expected that much, he was just too... _weird_. And different. And Teddy was afraid of him, which might have impaired his judgment.

And Goodnight was the living proof that surviving a war was not always the most fortunate outcome. He was broken and confused, it would have been easy for Billy to con him into this kind of sin. On the other hand, Teddy was sure Goodnight didn't give a fuck about the world or God or anything else, because he knew Hell was waiting for him anyway. What did another notch on that particular post matter? Maybe it really did feel good enough to risk a few thousand years of agony.

Teddy slowed to a stop. What in the world was he thinking here? These men had saved Rose Creek. They had answered his and Emma's call and risked their lives to save them.

He couldn't say a thing.

 

-

 

An hour later Teddy huddled in his favorite spot in the saloon, wedged in between the end of the bar and the side of the piano, attempting to chuck down enough beer to wipe the afternoon from his memory. He was on his first pint and so far it had only made his fingers twitch and his headache worse. Or maybe that was the noise, because the room was bursting at the seams.

The news about the battle against Bogue had spread like wildfire. Especially the robber baron's demise was on everyone's lips, along with whispers of an unsupervised gold mine and a creek supposedly overflowing with nuggets. Travelers from far and wide steered their horses to Rose Creek to collect their share of free money, or fame. If anyone had bothered to ask Teddy, he could've told them that the water was poisoned and the earth stripped. But no one did.

A few seats behind him, a grayed trapper with grease in his hair regaled a group of other unfamiliar faces with an animated recount of how he'd taken down the most fearsome businessman in the West single-handedly. “And he was begging for mercy, I tell ya! I could see the naked fear in his face, that I had put there, that terror of the Almighty! But everyone know what he done, so I pressed my gun right between his eyes and BOOM.”

Teddy snorted into his beer.

There was a chuckle to his right. Faraday leaned onto the bar next to him, balancing a glass in one hand and a plate in the other. The towering mountain of beans, peas and mashed potatoes trembled as he sat it down. “Takes all kinds of things, eh? Up and about despite your leg, Teddy?”

“I don't see you resting, either.”

“True, but I'm not a _greenhorn_.” Faraday brought his beer to his lips and downed it in one gulp. His Adam's apple bobbed, making a flaring red mark on his skin shift with the movement. Smirking, he pointed to Teddy's half full pint. “You drinking that?”

Teddy flinched, red in the cheeks, hands closing protectively around the glass. “Yes!”

Shooting him a look askew, Faraday lifted his palms. “Oh, alright. I see how it is.” He snapped his fingers, pulling a card out of thin air. King of Hearts. “Now, how about this...”

“No.”

“You don't know what I was gonna say!”

“And I don't need to hear it,” Teddy said, drained his glass – or, well, swallowed down as much as he could – and stood up. A wave of dizziness hit him squarely in the face and the saloon blurred into a smear of colors. What the hell was in that beer? Teddy grasped his stool for balance and a hand cupped his elbow.

“Whoa, easy there.”

Faraday had big hands. Big and calloused, and he smelled of river water and grass and birch leaves, and a hint of sweat. His grip was firm and warm. It was actually kind of nice. Enough to lean into it, at least, like the Asian had done earlier, and – _No!_

Stomach clenching violently, Teddy ripped his arm free and fled the saloon. A gust of sunburned air hit him in the face as he stepped onto the porch and he leaned against the wall, resting his forehead on the rough wood as he waited for the nausea to pass. He fumbled for the Peacemaker on his belt, grinding the grip into his palm. It was smooth and familiar, providing a comfort he hadn't known he needed before Rose Creek.

“Learn how to shoot that thing yet?”

Teddy jumped almost a foot.

Faraday came up behind him, limp evident in the thud of his steps. His next words curled around a smirk. “Want another lesson?” 

“Not from the likes of you,” Teddy snarled, more aggressive than he'd intended. But it was out now, so he squared his shoulders and turned.

Danger flickered in Faraday's eyes. The same kind of that barely veiled cold glare Teddy had seen when they met, seizing up his opponent. “The likes of me? I just saved your home. Show some respect.”

Teddy shivered a little and forced himself to shrug, averting his gaze and consciously letting go of his gun. “Sorry.”

He pushed past Faraday and onto the main street, squinting into the sunlight. It wouldn't be dark for a few hours yet. Enough time to get away from here, find some time to calm down and think. Teddy turned to the stables and heard a familiar uneven gait behind him. He hastened his steps, almost tripping over one of the kids that tumbled out from behind a horse trough.

Faraday laughed – a low, rumbling sound that trickled down Teddy's spine to pool at the base. He whirled around.

“Stop following me!”

“That's rude.”

“What do you want?”

Faraday quirked an eyebrow, coming even closer. “To know what's going on. Usually when people turn on me I cheated them out of money, but I haven't been playing. So why...?” 

Teddy stepped backwards, crossing his arms in front of his chest, to create some distance between them. Faraday cocked his head, looking seriously puzzled as he leaned in to squint at Teddy's face.

Teddy flinched. “Don't come near me!”

“Why are you weird?”

“Go away!”

“Not until you tell me.”

Teddy's shoulders brushed the edge of the stable door. “No!”

“Then I won't.”

Faraday smirked, placing a hand on the wood on either side of Teddy's head. Another whiff of that wild earth smell assaulted his nose and Teddy squirmed. Heat rose into his cheeks. Faraday couldn't keep him trapped here all day, could he?

“Spill, Teddy.”

“I...” he swallowed, cursing his weakness. “I saw you down by the creek. With the Chinaman.”

“First, his name is Billy. Second –” Faraday smirked a little, not the least bit embarrassed. “That's what got you so upset? Harmless fun?”

“It's disgusting!”

“Heh. So you've never?”

“What?!” Damn, Teddy hadn't known his cheeks could get any hotter. “Of course not!”

“Not even _thought_ about it?”

“No!”

That wasn't even a lie. Not until this afternoon, at least. Not even when he'd stared dumbfounded at Red Harvest as he'd appeared out of the early morning fog, too fascinated by all those smooth muscles and body paint to even lift his weapon. Emma still ribbed him about that.

“Shame,” Faraday said, gaze sweeping down Teddy's body so obviously it made his skin prickle. Then he snickered and let go, turning back to the saloon.

Something in Teddy's belly curled. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Faraday froze.

“I knew you weren't a good man, or particularly likeable, but doing something like that...,” Teddy shook himself. “You're not a man at all.”

“And why do you think what I do is any of your concern?” Faraday asked, dangerously low.

“It's not. But you saved us. You're a hero, not a... a...,” Teddy bit his tongue. He couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

Faraday seized him up, a hint of disbelief in his face. “So that's it? You're upset because I blew your fantasy?” He chuckled at his own word choice. “We're just men, Teddy, all of us. Or are you still too much of a kid to know about desire? Maybe you need a teacher...”

 

-

 

“W-what are you doing? Faraday! Let go of my pants!”

“Don't worry, you'll like it.”

“Ugh... P-please stop. I don't want to be like you.”

“Tell me you hate this and I will.”

“Wait, no! Not your m-mou- uhhh... oh god, _oohh_...”

 

-

 

Teddy blinked blearily up at the ceiling, breathing hard and trying not to think at all about the sticky wetness between his thighs.

“Don't pretend you didn't enjoy that.”

Teddy groaned. “Please shut up.”

He heard Faraday snicker and it made his skin itch. Quicker than he thought possible with the lassitude weighing down his limbs, he snatched up Faraday's neckerchief to wipe his hands on it.

Faraday smirked from where he was still kneeling in front of Teddy. “There's nothing wrong with a bit of harmless fun, Teddy. This wasn't even sodomy, so don't get your catholic knickers in a twist. And there was no one around to see it, anyway.”

“But what you did earlier...”

Faraday shrugged, completely unconcerned. “Just friends enjoying the company.”

There was no arguing with this idiot. “There are other ways,” Teddy pointed out regardless. “Women.”

“They weren't here when it all blew up in our faces,” Faraday said slowly, tugging his neckerchief out of Teddy's hands to clean himself up with it. “Sometimes only someone who knows can understand.”

“You wanted to be _understood_?”

“I wanted to take a bath,” Faraday corrected. “And got lucky. Now you got lucky. Luck everywhere!”

He stood up, groaning as the movement pulled at his leg. Nonetheless his eyes were half-lidded as he looked Teddy over.

Teddy shivered. “We should get back.”

“ _Or_ we could go down to the creek again.”

“Are you trying to corrupt me?”

Faraday laughed out loud. “This world is a lot bigger than you think, Ted. Not everything's about you.”

He held out his hand.

 

-

 

From one of the upper storey windows of the Imperial, Goodnight Robicheaux watched two figures walk down the main street with clear purpose, their horses trotting behind them.

“Looks like young Teddy finally found a way to charm Faraday.”

Billy looked up from where he was cleaning his knives on the bed they weren't using. “You're not still upset he refused your shooting lessons, are you?”

“Just sayin' he could do better in choosing a role model.”

“Like _you_?”

“No. But – oh dear.”

Down in the shadows beside the saloon Faraday pushed Teddy against the wall and meshed their faces together. Goodnight turned from the window.

Billy came up and squinted over his shoulder. “ _Finally_.”

“Fin– mon cher, I dare not ask. Have you –?”

“Have I what?” Billy asked innocently, gathering his knives and slipping them back into their sheaths.

Goodnight narrowed his eyes. “You _have_. Billy, how often do I have to tell you not to meddle? What if he had _told_?”

“We saved them. He wouldn't have.”

“You don't know that. Remember the guy back in Texas?”

Billy looked at him sharply. “Don't ever remind me of Texas again. Teddy couldn't lead a gang if his life depended on it. And if he'd tried to tell, I'd have stopped him.” He smiled a little, brushing his finger along the edge of Goodnight's old army knife. The one he used to gut hares when they were on the road.

Goodnight rubbed a hand over his face. “Still... tempting children into sin like that can't go unpunished,” he decided, marching towards the door.

Billy quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Smirking, Goodnight turned the key.

 

-

 

“I was doing them a favor.”

“You were doing _yourself_ a favor. Don't think I don't know, cher.”

“That, too. At least I didn't call you my _raunchy Cajun stud_.”

“... you know, I really wouldn't mind.”

**Author's Note:**

> Did anyone else notice how Teddy doesn't even TRY to aim at Red? Now Red/Teddy makes so much more sense!! :D
> 
> Aaanyway, enabled by the usual people, you know who you are. Betaed by Random Interloper.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
